1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwashers and, more particularly, to a utensil holder assembly including multiple utensil baskets that can be joined to mount on a door of a dishwasher or separated to mount on the door and/or a rack of the dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In general, dishwashers are designed to wash/sanitize dishware, cookware and utensils used in the preparation and consumption of food. Toward that end, a typical dishwasher includes a wash chamber, a pump assembly for generating a washing fluid flow in the wash chamber and at least one rack for supporting articles to be cleaned. The dishwasher also includes a door that seals across the wash chamber to prevent washing fluid from escaping during a wash operation. In most cases, the door will have an outer decorative shell designed to blend in with surrounding cabinetry and an inner liner which carries detergent and water conditioning dispensers. Typically, items such as dishware, bakeware, glassware and the like are supported on the rack(s) during the washing operation, while smaller items such as silverware and utensils are placed in a basket for washing.
In most cases, the basket is supported on a lower rack of the dishwasher. Silverware and other utensils placed in the basket are exposed to a spray of washing fluid during the washing operation. Some baskets are fixedly mounted to racks, while others are removable so as to allow positioning in various locations in the dishwasher, as well as facilitate the unloading of utensils. In this manner, the basket can be placed in a location to allow for specific placement of dishware, or removed all together to accommodate larger items such as bowls and baking dishes. However, while larger items or loads can be washed by removing the basket, a separate cycle will then be required to wash the utensils or larger items, or these items will need to be washed by hand.
As an alternative to baskets supported by or affixed to the rack, some dishwashers mount the utensil baskets to inner liners of doors. The baskets can either be formed as part of the inner liner, or designed to be removed to facilitate unloading the contents at a remote location. Baskets that are formed as part of the inner liner can be awkward to load. In addition, when the door is simultaneously supporting a rack, the basket is not readily accessible. Baskets that are removably mounted to the door typically do not clean flatware as well as rack mounted baskets, with this drawback being attributed to the designs employed in the prior art. In any event, while both designs possess certain advantages, both designs also have their respective drawbacks.
Therefore, despite the existence of utensil baskets in the prior art, there still exists a need for a utensil basket incorporating a flexible mounting arrangement for use in a dishwasher. More specifically, there exists a need for a utensil basket that can be selectively supported on either a door or a rack.